In the Name of the King
by TeflonSG
Summary: Geass is nothing but urban legend and myth. What is called the "Power of Kings" is nothing but a representation of those born with the conviction to rule. Lelouch, born in the edges of the imperial family, must claw his way to the claim the throne. AU
1. Prologue

In the Name of the King  
Prologue

The Aeries Villa was loud. During the summertime, sunlight could radiate through the open windows, bringing warmth to the mahogany floorboards, and whitewashed walls. The many children, prince and princesses, would run around its halls, their little feet tapping on the floor – sometimes on the grass. They would chase each other until they were tired, sitting down on the comfortable sofas and chairs until the maids and servants brought plates of food: snacks for the hungry children. Then, once their bellies were filled, their hunger sated, their fatigue cleansed, they would all get up and play once more. Yes, the Aeries Villa was a lively place.

Marianne walked through the noisy halls as Nunnally ran away from Euphemia. The older girl's legs were longer, and she quickly closed the distance between them, only for Nunnally to round a corner, and keep on running. Marianne could only smile at their antics. They weren't princes and princesses in the Aeries Villa. Just children wanting to play, and that was how Marianne liked it.

She continued on, making her way through the Villa, to one of the more secluded areas. The eastern wing was a bit boring. Most of those rooms were just guest bedrooms anyways – not much fun to be had there – but Marianne knew this was where they would be. She opened one of the doors, only to hear fingers tapping on wood, then a shifting of clothing, and then a firm _clack_ as Schneizel placed his piece down. He held it there for a brief moment, a doubtful look crossing his face, only to be resolved as he let go of the wooden head of a white bishop.

"Ah, I knew you would be here." At her entrance, Schneizel and Lelouch turned their heads and bowed.

"Mother/Your Highness." Before returning to their game.

"How are you boys doing? It seems like you're having a bit of trouble there, Lelouch." Marianne pointed at Lelouch's black side. He hadn't lost many pieces yet, but his position made it difficult to use his pieces efficiently. Schneizel, on the other hand, with a slight numbers disadvantage, had his pieces all spread out on the board, each one able to protect another, connecting his army in an indestructible web of soldiers.

"I'm fine, mother. We've been playing for a few hours now, but I haven't won a single game yet. Schneizel's too good." Lelouch pondered for a few more moments before making his move. Schneizel only grinned as he captured one of Lelouch's pieces. Lelouch returned the gesture, capturing another one of Schneizel's before falling into a trap. "Ugh. See what I mean? I hate you Schneizel."

"Well, I _have_ been playing this game for years. If you could beat me so easily I wouldn't be called the best, now would I?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just you wait. I'll beat you someday." Lelouch grumbled at his brother.

"Well I came here to tell you boys that lunch is ready. Once you finish your game, come to the dining room." With that, Marianne left the room and left the boys to finish their game. She made her way to the dining room where all the other princes and princesses were already seated, waiting for the last of them to arrive before eating the plates and plates of food laid out before them. Yes, Aeries was loud, and it was lively, but most importantly, Aeries was home.

OoOoO

Something was off. Lelouch felt it the instant he woke up that morning: a nagging sensation in the back of his head. Throughout the day this irritating tug made him uneasy as he wondered what this premonition could mean. Nothing had happened throughout the day, but as the ten-year old boy lay in his bed, that feeling would simply not go away. Something was off. He knew it.

_Someone's going to get hurt._

He knew it. He wondered what would happen – who would be the victim. Could it be his sister? His mother? One of the guards? For the next hour, Lelouch merely tossed and turned in his bed, clearly too agitated to fall asleep. The imminent feeling of danger growing ever closer and closer. Unable to resist any longer, Lelouch got out of bed to make sure everything was fine. Dressed in nothing but his pajamas and a pair of slippers, Lelouch slowly trudged through the now empty halls of the Aeries Villa. Lelouch remembered all of the fun he had in those walls, from the first day he met his brothers and sisters to just this morning when he lost another game to Schneizel.

The normally active house was now deathly quiet, and in the middle of the night, only an eerie silence pervaded the halls. Moonlight shone through the large windows, shining beams of light onto the ground. The spacing between the windows created an alternating pattern of light and dark. He would step into moonlight, then back into shadows, then once again into moonlight, and once again into shadows – all the while, making his way towards his sister's room.

_Nunnally..._

He slowly and quietly opened the door just a crack, its hinges barely squeaking as it swung open. He saw nothing but an empty bed. An empty bed. Where was his sister? Panicking, he entered the room and lifted the covers to see if she was perchance curled up underneath the covers, sleeping in a position where his view was blocked. Unfortunately, the only thing underneath those covers were cool bed sheets. His heart palpitated as he began to sweat. Where could she be? Dead? Kidnapped? Where did she go?

No. Relax.

Lelouch took a minute to reign in his fears. He was a prince of Britannia, not some overly emotional child. Cold logic was his friend. He took a deep breath and thought. Dead? Unlikely. Kidnapped? Impossible. The guards in the villa would make it impossible to break in. Guards. Speaking of which, where were the guards?

The shock of his realization hit him hard. He should have passed at least one guard when he made his way towards his sister's house. Usually, the halls would resonate with the light tapping of their boots on the wooden floorboards. Lelouch managed to keep himself from panicking once more. Think. While the lack of guards was suspicious, he needed to figure out where else could she have gone. Kidnapping, while unlikely, was now a possibility. However, there was a more likely place:

_Mother's room._

For a strange reason, his premonition only grew as he thought about his mother's room. Hopefully, he would find Nunnally there. Hopefully. He quickly exited the room, not bothering to even close the door as he marched towards his mother's room. He passed through the long drawn out halls of the Villa once more with nothing but the light sound of his feet on the ground to accompany him. It felt like the longest trip of his entire life. He could feel the strange sensations in his stomach grow as he reached her door, his hand grasping the knob. He was almost too afraid to open that door. Almost.

The door swung wide as Lelouch stepped into the room. He heard nothing but the pained whimpering of his sister. He almost cried. He only stood there, illuminated by the dim radiance of the moon. Speechless. He dropped down to his knees.

_Nunnally..._

And sighed a sigh of relief. There she was – there they were – cuddled together on the bed. Marianne held her daughter close as the girl kept whimpering in her restless sleep.

"Be quiet, Lelouch, or you'll wake her up." Marianne seemed to stir awake at Lelouch's entrance. Nunnally, however, remained asleep in her arms. "She's had a bad dream."

He watched as his mother kissed Nunnally on her forehead, whispering soothing words as Nunnally's nightmare abated.

"Where are the guards?" He whispered, getting up off of the ground.

"I let them take the night off. They work everyday. They need their rest sometimes too."

"But that's dangerous. What if someone came in, and there were no guards to protect you?"

"Protect me? Lelouch, don't be silly. Remember, I'm a soldier too. One of the best. It'll take a lot more that one person to take me down. Now go back to bed young man. It's still the middle of the night."

Of course. Marianne The Flash. One of the Empire's finest soldiers, in a Knightmare or out of one. Her incredible record was what caught the emperor's attention in the first place. At that, Lelouch nodded and left the room, closing the door softly behind him. It was strange. Mother was fine. Nunnally was fine. Yet the feeling in his gut still told him something was wrong.

_Someone's going to get hurt..._

Nah. That wouldn't happen. His mother even said it herself. She was a soldier of Britannia: Marianne the Flash. Nobody could take her down. Who could take down Marianne The Flash? Nobody, right? Right. Nobody. How could he ever forget? Pushing the feeling of uneasiness away, Lelouch made his way back to his own room, where he took off his slippers and crawled back under his covers.

Not before stubbing his toe on the foot of his bed.

"OUCH!"

And the feeling was gone.

OoOoO

The next morning, Lelouch woke up at the crack of dawn, the light from the rising sun penetrating through his windows and curtains. Sitting up, he managed to rub the sleep out of his eyes as memories of his restless night shot into the front of his mind. He quickly rose, throwing off the covers as he made to stand. His toe still throbbed from when he banged it against the foot of his bed.

"Ahh. Still sore." Ignoring the pain, he quickly got dressed and walked downstairs. The smell of eggs and pancakes pervaded the house and Lelouch took a big waft of the delicious scent.

"Lelouch!" Someone ran straight at him, leaping into his arms and giving him a face full of brown hair. She giggled. "You're awake, sleepyhead!"

"Whoa, Nunnally! Augh, I can't breathe!" Lelouch couldn't understand how his timid and 'fragile' sister had such a strong hug. He might as well have been getting a hug from a Knightmare. She did, however, let go as Lelouch rubbed his arms, wincing slightly at the rough treatment. Her eyes were radiating with happiness. "You're rather happy today. Why's that?"

"I don't know. Today just feels like a great day!" She turned around and began to skip down the hall towards the dining room. "Come on, let's eat! Mother's already waiting."

Lelouch only smiled and followed behind his sister as she bounced up and down, one leg after the other, smiling as she greeted everyone passing by with that contagious smile of hers. Yes, Aeries Villa was a happy place, and Lelouch would have liked to keep it that way.

OoOoO

How's it going? TeflonSG with a new Code Geass FF. As one of my favorite animes of all time, I needed to write something about it. I've read a lot of fanfics about Lelouch being found, but what if he was never lost? I hope you enjoyed my twist on Code Geass, and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 1: Mission Impossible

Chapter 1: Mission Impossible

"Lelouch, wake up! Come on, we need to go!" Lelouch groggily opened his eyes, only to see the face of his sister shaking his arm, trying to get him out of bed.

"What? Nunnally, what are you talking about. Let me sleep." He turned his back towards her and tried to go back to sleep, ignoring his sister. Not the best of ideas. It seemed like she had inherited a bit of her mother's temper. Just a tiny bit. Lelouch yelped as his covers were ripped off, leaving him susceptible to the cold. While his pajamas did help, his extremities – hands and feet – were left to freeze in the morning air. Why did the Villa have to be so cold?

It was the middle of summer, but Marianne insisted the air conditioner be turned on low as to not burn to death in their house. The Villa seemed to just soak up heat to the point where for the one week the air conditioner was broken, the entire vi Britannian family and staff of Aeries Villa moved over to the li Britannian estate to rest. It was a bit crowded, but Cornelia and Euphemia were absolutely ecstatic about the company. Their mother however, was not quite as eager.

Regardless, Lelouch now found himself shivering as he pounced off the bed, his hands reaching for the covers currently in his sister's possession. He lunged forward, only to have her step aside and dodge his attack.

"Come on, Nunnally. Just give me back the covers." Lelouch prepared to lunge once more, but he was suddenly hit in the face with a pair of pants.

"Hehe. That's okay. You're out of bed already. Get dressed, Lelouch. Dad's making an announcement today." Lelouch rolled his eyes as Nunnally used the word 'dad.' Charles was a king only. Never a father.

Lelouch pulled on his royal attire. Pants, shirt, jacket and all. He ironed out any wrinkles in his imperial coat, ensuring that it was properly aligned with his shoulders. It took him twenty minutes to get ready – shower and breakfast included. Marianne fixed her son's collar before the trio left for the Imperial Palace.

OoOoO

"Ah, Lelouch. So good to see you. Have you beaten the Duke yet?" Schneizel approached Lelouch as the three vi Britannians had split up. Nunnally ran off with Euphy, and despite her dislike for the others, Marianne joined the group of Empresses as they chatted among themselves. This left Lelouch standing alone, until of course, Schneizel decided to say hello.

"Of course. It was easy. I don't think he knew how to play at all. I only lost two pawns." Lelouch recounted his crushing victory against one of the dukes. The brazen middle-aged man boasted about his skill, only to have his spirits crushed by a ten year-old boy. How pathetic.

"Yes, but how long did you take? Fifty? Sixty?"

"Something like that. Sixty three moves, I believe." Lelouch knew he played slow. Not time-wise, but turn-wise. He would slowly proceed with his army, each piece protecting another like a phalanx marching towards enemy lines. Slow, but impenetrable.

"Hm. Perhaps you need to pick up the pace. I beat him in under twenty." Lelouch knew Schneizel was taunting him. Schneizel's games were aggressive and fast. Each move he made was an attack on the enemy king. One time, he had lost almost every single piece in the game, but ended up winning with just a King and a Pawn. Every turn, pieces fell left and right, with Schneizel taking control of each and every one of his opponent's pieces. In the end, he backed his enemy's King into a corner where he could not run any further. It was just like Schneizel to play like that.

"Yes, well how many pieces did you lose? Almost all of them?"

"What does it matter? In the end, I still won. Every piece is expendable, except the King of course." Of course they were. Schneizel said it so many times Lelouch felt like that was the only principle Schneizel lived by. Everything expendable, except himself. Classic. "But still, good job Lelouch. I'll find another opponent that, hopefully, can keep up with your skill. Until then, let us listen to what His Majesty has to say."

Applause ran through the crowd as Charles zi Britannia, the 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire strode into the room and took a seat on his throne.

'He's late." Lelouch stated.

"Oh I wouldn't say that. Remember where you are Lelouch. A King is always on time. It is his subjects who are early."

"How could I ever forget..." Lelouch said with much sarcasm. Schneizel did not reply, for Charles had begun the meeting.

"Greetings my fellow subjects. I have called you all here to discuss the expansion of our glorious empire. These past few months, we have been sizing up our enemy, and mobilizing our army. With our eyes set on the growth of Britannia's economy and technology, I, Charles zi Britannia, 98th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, announce that at noon tomorrow, we will begin our assault on Japanese shores." Another round of applause. "They have been delaying far too long, and it is time we strike. Our forces have already prepared and are awaiting their orders. This is the other reason I have called you all here today. I designate this task to one whom I believe will bring us a crushing victory over our foes. Schneizel!"

"Yes, your Majesty." Schneizel left Lelouch's side as the crowd split, letting him reach the foot of the throne where he kneeled before his father.

"Are you willing to take this challenge?" Willing to take? Yeah, right. Lelouch rolled his eyes at the performance. When the Emperor asks you to do something, it's an order, not a question. Schneizel couldn't say no, even if he wanted to.

"Of course."

"Good. Then go, and show them the might of Britannia!" Another round of applause.

OoOoO

Despite Schneizel's military brilliance, not even the Second Prince could crack through Japan's defenses. Over the past year, Japan had been building an incredible number of warships. The quality of their battleships matched that of Britannian dreadnaughts, and the tightly knit perimeter of ships around the country formed an impenetrable wall against the Britannian armada. Schneizel didn't think it would take this long, but the Japanese were holding on strong. Each and every day, the Britannians would sink a few ships, and lose a few in the process. The next day, two more ships arrive from Britannia, and two more ships roll out of the factories in Japan. Both nations were at a complete deadlock.

Of course, the only reason this was even possible was because Britannia's military superiority lay in its most powerful machine: the Knightmare. Fully armored bipedal walkers that could traverse the lands quickly with their landspinners, the Knightmare frame was the definition of Britannian ingenuity. However, they were equipped with landspinners. Capable of travelling on land. So there Schneizel sat, in the capital cruiser: the Amadeus, with over ten carriers filled with Knightmares, waiting for the navy to clear enough room for the Britannians to establish a beachhead. Obviously, Japan didn't want them to go that far. The instant the Knightmares put their treads on Japanese soil, the war would be over.

It had already been two months since their initial wave of assault, and no progress had been made. Charles was getting restless, as was Schneizel. His reputation as a strategist, and as a prince was on the line, and he would not lose to some second rate army only capable of fighting over the seas. It had been just battle after battle, and the Japanese will to continue resisting held strong. They never faltered.

It was in part, due to the command of Genbu Kururugi. The Prime MInister saw the invasion years beforehand, and began to prepare in secret. There was no possible way the Japanese industry could produce enough ships to equal Britannia's fleet without ample time. The Japanese must have been preparing for the past few years, turning their manufacturing plants into war factories, and importing the raw materials of aluminum, steel, oil, etc. from the Chinese Federation. Japanese GDP and export seemed to stagnate and decrease, however they have acquired much more in the form of this impenetrable barrier that stood between Schneizel's victory and defeat.

This war needed to end soon. They had planned for a single month. One single blitz towards the capital with the Knightmares. It would've worked, had they only been able to land on Japan's shores. They needed to break through this blockade. They needed to break the Japanese will and morale. They needed to break Genbu Kururugi, for as long as that man stood at the top, commanding the Japanese, they would never falter.

Schneizel gritted his teeth. Had he met a strategist that was just as good as him? Perhaps even better? No. He was Schneizel el Britannia, Second Prince of the Britannian Empire. There was nobody better than him. Whether it be one month, or one year, he would claim Japan under the banner of the empire. Little did Schneizel know, this war would almost be over.

"Prince Schneizel. We have a call coming in from your secretary, Susan, back in Pendragon. She would like to inform you that there's been a call to your office. Direct. The caller is currently on hold, but will not wait any longer." The captain of the Amadeus saluted before informing Schneizel of the situation.

The prince had a puzzled expression on his face. Only the governments of the global superpowers had direct access to his office's number. Everything else would have been filtered through Susan. He left for his quarters.

OoOoO

"Hello?" Schneizel sat behind his desk, phone in one hand.

"Prime Minister Schneizel." Shit. The voice was Jean-Pierre, head of the Congressional Council of the European Union. While the E.U. was a democracy with many senators and councilman, the Parisian Jean-Pierre Dufort held the most power as the head of their council. If he was speaking, then it was only negotiations and politics.

"Ah. Conseiller Dufort. Bonjour Monsieur. To what do I owe the pleasure of receiving your call?"

"To my knowledge, the Britannian armada has yet to break through the Japanese lines, and it has already been two months. You said one month. ONE. Japan has threatened to cut off our supply of Sakuradite if we do not come to their aid within another week. Now you promised us a third, but right now, we can't see you taking over the nation. There is no "third" to be promised. In one week, we will abide by Japan's request and send over a quarter of our navy to assist them. If you do not wish to become our enemy, uphold the end of your bargain."

"What if, councilman, that your forces assist ours in breaking through the Japanese lines? I offered you an economic deal before: one third of Japan's total Sakuradite export. Now I offer a political treaty. Turn your fleet against the Japanese, and we will give you half of the Sakuradite produced by Japan."

"And China? Do you expect me to believe that you would only give a quarter to China and keep a quarter to yourselves? They would not take that negotiation peacefully."

"No sir, they would not. But then again, what can China do against both of our armies?"

"Schneizel. You are a devious man, but I would rather die than join forces with you Britannian oppressors. Joining forces with you would only upset this balance of power, and I know for a certain that once this is over, you would turn your backs on us the moment you see fit. No, I will not be stabbed in the back by the likes of you. You've got one week! Get your forces grounded, or we'll be forced to push you out of the Pacific." With those last words, Dufort hung up.

Schneizel pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache start to build in his skull. This war had just gotten ten times more complicated. The European Union had reached an ultimatum, and he knew that China would no doubt be in the same boat. The two other superpowers, in their pact with Japan, promised to aid Japan in the defense of any external invasion - Britannia included. Up to this point, China and European had been "mobilizing" but Britannia couldn't break through in time. Japan was cashing in the favors now, and unless he could pull off a miracle in one week, this war would be over, and with Britannia's loss.

He took the phone and dialed a number, waiting for three rings before someone picked up on the other side. It was a female voice.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Empress Marianne. This is Schneizel. May I speak with Lelouch?"

OoOoO

4 days later...

"Captain! Are our forces prepared?" Schneizel stood in the bridge of the Amadeus, overlooking the many sailors and operators working on their various instruments. Radars and communications were buzzing as Schneizel ordered the entire fleet to prepare to engage.

"All squadrons, status report!" The captain shouted over the comms.

"This is Alpha Squadron. We're Oscar Mike. In position in two.

"This is Bravo. We've been sitting here for minutes already."

"Charlie here. All guns at the ready."

"Delta en route. Three minutes."

"Looks like we're almost ready, your highness."

"Task Force 11. What's your status, Lelouch?"

"Calm down, brother. We're in position. Want to tell me why you pulled a child like me into the hot seat?"

"Desperate times, Lelouch. Desperate times. Based on the games we've played, I know you're the only one who can pull this off."

"Right. Ten carriers. Just watch. I won't lose a single one."

"I sincerely hope not."

"Alpha Squadron in position. / Delta in position."

"Good. This is Fleet Admiral Schneizel El Britannia, 2nd Prince of the Britannian Empire. Our assault begins now!"

OoOoO

Sixty Britannian warships floated through the night, their slow pace barely causing any ripples in the ocean currents. Carried by the waves themselves, the Britannian fleet made its way towards the Japanese line. With all lights off, sixty shadows crept ever so close to the shores.

"Japanese ships are on our radar. They'll be in range soon."

"Good. All guns at the ready… Go! Full broadside!"

At once, every Britannian ship turned on their lights and took aim as their initial volley ripped through the first of the Japanese cruisers.

"Full speed ahead! Charge them down!"

The Japanese ships reacted fast. While a few ships were destroyed by the surprise attack, the others quickly regrouped and began to move to surround the Britannian cluster. Smoke rose into the night sky as both Britannian and Japanese warships took turns firing at one another, all the while, Task Force 11 moved closer to the shore.

"Carrier 4 is being targeted! Port side! Port side! Someone take the hit!" Lelouch shouted over the comms. He saw one of the enemy ships targeting the one of the Knightmare carriers. The Japanese cannons lowered and took aim at the vulnerable hull. Their cannons fired, but they never hit the hull of the carrier. One of the other cruisers ran into the Japanese line of fire, causing the rounds to damage the heavily armored hull of the cruiser. In retaliation, the damaged cruiser fired its own salvo, forcing the Japanese ship to retreat.

"Schneizel, you need to break their line! The cruisers can't land until you get through - starboard! Starboard side! Three Japanese battleships! Don't let the carriers take damage! Keep moving forward! Past the line! Past the line! They can't hit us in the dark! Fire the cylinders! Foward! Forward!"

"Your highness, our forces are getting decimated out here. We're almost fully surrounded! We need to retreat. Twenty of our ships are already down!"

"No! We cannot! If we fall back now, we'll have lost the war. The E.U. will arrive within a few days time. We need to get those carriers onto the shore!"

"But sir, we can't establish a beachhead like this -,"

"Screw the beachhead! We'll never get a solid hold. Once we land those carriers, we take every knightmare and blitz the capital. I _will_ finish this war."

"Your highness…" The captain merely stared at his prince's declaration.

"Lelouch, what's your status?"

"I'm, doing the best I can! We're almost there! All the enemy ships are behind us, and only Carrier 7 took any damage. Light damage to the hull, none of the Knightmares inside are damaged. Half my entourage is gone, and the other half is full of Knightmares. There's one last ship between us and the shore!" Lelouch's voice sounded hoarse over the intercom. The boy has been shouting orders since the beginning of the battle.

"What ship is that? Tell someone, tell me what ship it is!"

"Your Highness, it's the Yamato!" One of the sailors turned towards his prince.

"Shit."

The Yamato was Japan's flagship. Heavily armed, and nearly twice the size of a standard battleship, its hull was more than two feet thick, and even the heaviest of payloads could only do so much as dent its armor. Powered by a Sakuradite engine, the Yamato's engines could put up to 30 knots easily - almost as fast as any destroyer. It was a monster, a behemoth, and it was the only thing that stood between Task Force 11 and clear victory.

"We need to take down that ship." Schneizel stared at the image of the Yamato that was placed onto the screen. Under the light of the moon, the ship seemed like a towering monstrosity with flaring lights and beacons. As Britannian searchlights aimed onto the Yamato, its massive guns were illuminated as they fired flashes of light and smoke. The Britannian navy was getting decimated.

"Your Highness, but may I ask how? Our ships are in disarray. Every squadron is fighting their own battle. Delta is almost completely gone. Bravo has gone to assist Charlie. Alpha Platoon is locked in combat, and Task Force 11's convoy is almost completely defenseless." Lelouch sacrificed almost all of his ships to protect the carriers, and now he was left defenseless against the last bastion of hope for Japan.

"Your Highness, what do we do? We can't take down the Yamato!" Lelouch glared angrily at the ship. What was left of his task force had virtually no way of taking down something as large as the Yamato. It was an impossibility. There was no possibility for retreat. The rest of the Japanese fleet lay behind them, trying to close the distance. Lelouch had the ships firing on all cylinders, ramming their way directly to the shore.

But now, Lelouch was clueless as to what to do. He ransacked his mind, trying to determine the proper move. He was stuck. Japanese army in back, the Yamato in front. He had 10 carriers, and little to no warships. It seemed hopeless. He could see the lights of the Japanese army coming from behind. Perhaps this was the end.

Lelouch relaxed in his seat and closed his eyes. He supposed he would die tonight, on the bridge of his own ship: the Retribution. He almost cried. For a mere child, the Eleventh Prince's resolution was strong. He was a prince of the empire, and each and every one of the sailors on his ship would follow him to the end. Not because of loyalty to him, but because of their undying loyalty to Britannia.

It was only four days ago when Schneizel asked for his assistance.

"_Lelouch, I need you to come here." Schneizel's voice sounded worried - panicked. _

"_By here, are you referring to the Amadeus?"_

"_That's right. I need your help in this war."_

"_Why me?"_

"_Because you're the only one I trust enough to be able to do this."_

"_I'm only ten, Schneizel. What do you expect me to do?"_

"_Ten years old, and still able to beat almost every single chess player I send your way."_

"_Except you."_

"_Of course not me."_

"_Then how does a lesser player like myself assist the mighty Schneizel? Or does this mean you believe I am the better player?"_

"_Until you manage to checkmate my King, I will remain the better player Lelouch. However, I do need another brilliant mind different from my own to pull off a victory here in the Pacific war."_

"_And what do I get?"_

"_Recognition. And a use for your genius. There aren't many times when you can play with something more than just pieces of wood, you know?"_

"_Mother will never allow me to go to war."_

"_She already has… By the order of Charles zi Britannia, 9th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, I, Schneizel el Britannia, hereby requisition Lelouch vi Britannia as Commander of Task Force 11."_

"_...And, pray, what does Task Force 11 do?"_

"_Win the war."_

"Your highness! Your highness!" Lelouch jerked his eyes awake. That was right. He never had a decision going into this war. Whenever the King asks something of you, you never decline. _Never._ If he were to die here, it would be on the King's hands. No, he needed to finish this fight. It was a task given to him by his brother, and he would not fail. Japan would fall today, regardless of the consequences.

"Captain! Full speed ahead! Let us be remembered as the ones who claimed this land! All Hail Britannia!"

"Your Highness! Prince Schneizel!"

"What is it?" A bright flash of purple filled the screen. A tremendous shockwave blew through the ocean, causing the waves to push everything away from the Yamato. "What happened?"

Everyone was speechless. Nothing moved as everything was fixed at the screen. A purple and pink plume of smoke rose as similarly colored flames licked the hull of the Yamato and another ship. The fires burned bright, illuminating the dark sky.

"...The...He...The Prince…"

"What is it, sailor? Spit it out!" Despite Schneizel's intelligence, he did not see nor understand what was happening.

"The Retribution...Prince Lelouch ran the Retribution right into the Yamato…"

"..."

"Prince Schneizel? We are sorry for your loss." Every sailor on the bridge bowed his head towards his prince. Schneizel however, looked unfazed.

"Do not be. It was his decision, and we shall abide by what he stood for. His sacrifice has given us the opportunity to claim victory for Britannia! Patch through to the carriers. I am now in command of Task Force 11. It's a clear line to the shore! Go! Push the engines! Our victory is near!"

OoOoO

"Mommy, when is Lelouch going to come home?" Nunnally was watching a cartoon while cuddled with her mother. Marianne only smiled.

"Soon, dear. The emperor has a very important mission for Lelouch, and once he's done, he'll come home."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

And the first few drops of rain hit the windows of the Aeries Villa.

OoOoO

I apologize for not updating for so long. I've been trying to balance many things, but hopefully, I'll be able to get back to updating as soon as I can. Please leave a review and comment on what you liked or disliked. Criticism is appreciated. Thanks for reading!


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